News Headlines for June 1999

X-34 takes to the skies On June 29, NASA conducted the first test flight of its experimental X-34 space plane. While the test wasn't particularly dramatic -- it only tested the design of the vehicle's wings -- the X-34 seems well on its way to success since it was unveiled to the public earlier this year. Comet Hale-Bopp - Still Enormous! One of the most famous comets is Hale-Bopp that passed near the Earth just over two years ago. It now moves out through the solar system, getting fainter with increasing distance. The estimated magnitude is now about 12.5 (visual), i.e. about 400 times fainter than what can be perceived with the unaided eye. Scouting for ROSETTA - VLT Observes Comet Wirtanen at Aphelion The launch in early 2003 of the Rosetta spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA), the 3rd "Cornerstone" mission of this organisation, will mark the beginning of an exciting scientific endeavour. Space station mock-up opened in Holland A full-scale model of a laboratory that will form part of the International Space Station (ISS) has been opened at Noordwijk in the Netherlands. Radio Meteor Alert Earth may be headed into two meteoroid swarms near the end of June. Ham radio operators can monitor the action, which may be invisible to the naked eye. Eclipse memories from 1927 The last total eclipse of the Sun in Britain occurred on the 29th June 1927. Amid great excitement thousands of people, from all sections of society, travelled from all over the country to watch it. NASA axes bold mission to land craft on comet A $240 million NASA mission to land a probe on the surface of a comet for the first time and drill beneath its surface was scrapped Monday, a victim of the space agency's tight budget. World's oldest telescope? If one Italian scientist is correct then the telescope was not invented sometime in the 16th century by Dutch spectacle makers, but by ancient Assyrian astronomers nearly three thousand years earlier. Neutrino the Magnificent! Ladies and gentlemen, in their newest trick, particle physicists take the wispiest of subatomic atomics - the magnificent, mysterious neutrino - shoot it through 150 miles of solid rock and make it reappear inside a cathedral-size swimming pool carved inside a mountain! Return to Tunguska Scientists hope to solve the mystery of the greatest cosmic impact of the century by undertaking an expedition to a remote region of Russia. Muscular robots planned for Mars Robots with legs powered by artificial muscles are being developed to explore Mars. Are We Alone? Where’s E.T.? Shouldn’t there be intelligent civilizations around some of the other 100 billion stars in our galaxy? SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, keeps listening for radio signals from alien neighbors, hoping for contact. Cassini picks up speed around Venus again See also: Venus Lends a Helping Hand En route to Saturn, Cassini flew less than 400 miles above Venus today gaining a boost in speed from that planet's gravity. Mir Could Be a Movie Set — for a Price Russia’s ageing Mir space station may have won a reprieve thanks to a film director who wants to shoot part of a movie on the 13-year-old spacecraft. Gemini images rival space telescope See also: Scientists unveil powerful new telescope in Hawaii A powerful new telescope was dedicated in Hawaii on June 25 amid predictions that it will produce some of the sharpest infrared images ever and allow astronomers to look back 8 billion years in time. Ancient Solar Eclipse Records Help Pinpoint Confucius' Birthday The birthday of Confucius, the founder of Confucianism and great thinker and educationalist in ancient China, was recently pinpointed by scientists as October 9, 552 BC, one year earlier than thought. FUSE Satellite Launched See also: NASA's fossil-finding telescope reaches orbit and NASA to blow a FUSE - into space NASA launched an ultraviolet telescope on June 24 that will help astronomers better understand what the universe was like moments after creation. Comet's shadow captured on cosmic screen See also: SOHO glimpses far side of the Sun, looks at a comet's shadow and SOHO spies the far side of the Sun The shadow of a comet projected on a "screen" of hydrogen on the other side of the solar system has been seen by scientists. Space Tourism Lunar sight-seeing trips and orbiting space hotels are within reach, moon-walking astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin said June 23, but some who favour space tourism worried about its “giggle factor.” Hungarians hope to cash in on millennium's last solar eclipse "Darkness at noon" fever is catching hold in Hungary, a prime viewing area for the last total solar eclipse of the millennium. Sharing a summer of Sun-watching - ECLIPSE99 Today at Stonehenge (England) and other ancient observatories across Europe, sunrise was in line with stony structures that identify the longest day. The summer solstice has been, for thousands of years, a time to pay respect to the Sun which powers the life and weather of the Earth. The European Space Agency marks this year's summer solstice in a modern way, with the introduction of a special ECLIPSE99 service on ESA's science web site, looking forward to the next major event in the solar calendar: the total eclipse of the Sun on 11 August. Leonids on the Horizon Experts make their predictions for the 1999 Leonid meteor shower. The Great Leonid Meteor Storm of 1833 Read a charming, first-hand account of the meteor shower that marked the discovery of the Leonids and created a new branch of astronomy. Asteroid hunters bring telescope into new age NASA astronomers searching for asteroids headed toward Earth are expanding their sky-watching repertoire by adding high-tech, computerized electronic upgrades to the classic 1.2-meter- diameter (48-inch) Oschin telescope atop Palomar Mountain near San Diego, California. Rosetta: ESA's new comet chaser - press event 1 July At a press event to be held on Thursday 1 July at the Royal Society in London (6 Carlton House Terrace), the European Space Agency's Director of Science, Professor Roger Bonnet, will present the next mission in ESA's ambitious comet exploration programme and unveil a quarter-sized high-fidelity model of the Rosetta orbiter and lander. From Mars with love See also: From Mars, with love First it was a smiling face, now a heart has been spotted on Mars. Cosmonaut breaks space record Cosmonaut Sergei Avdeyev, currently on board the Mir space station, has become the person with the longest total stay in space. He has clocked up 681 days. NASA's X-ray space telescope readied for launch pad A NASA X-ray space observatory designed to see violent, vibrant cosmic reactions invisible to the Hubble Space Telescope underwent final packaging on June 18 for its move early next week to a launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. Scientist find star group from beginning of time Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory say they've found a galaxy dating back to the beginning of time, close to the edges of the known universe. Looking for the 'relics' of the Big Bang A new satellite to study the 'relics' of the Big Bang is about to be launched. First pictures from Gemini The first image taken by one of the Gemini twin telescopes has delighted astronomers. It is of the distant planet Pluto and its tiny moon Charon. The quality of the image is as good as that obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. Close Call for Space Station The International Space Station was sailing along in orbit when, late last week, the Air Force told NASA a piece of space junk — a used Russian rocket — would pass too close for comfort. Doubt Cast on Existence of Powerful Magnetic Fields New astronomical observations of extremely compact and dense neutron stars, sources of some of the most intense bursts of high-energy radiation in the Galaxy, call into question a popular theory about their fundamental composition. Unearthing clues to Martian fossils The hunt for ancient life on Mars has led scientists to an other-worldly place on Earth called Mono Lake. XMM ready for launch in December, a month earlier than envisaged! The European Space Agency's XMM mission had until very recently been officially set to liftoff on 21 January 2000. Now, with a common accord between the ESA project management and Arianespace, the launch of the X-ray astronomy mission by an Ariane 5 has been rescheduled to mid-December this year. Spirits of Another Sort Dr. Dave Sentman, who originally dubbed the mysterious red flickers of light above thunderclouds Sprites, works to move them from the realm of mystery into scientific knowledge. Europe is going to Mars The European Space Agency’s Mars Express mission has won unanimous approval. It will be the first mission Europe has sent to the red planet. Thunderbirds are go! An amateur rocket scientist is offering trips into space in a home-made rocket capsule inspired by a sci-fi puppet show. China's secret manned spacecraft revealed Pictures of the secret capsule that China will use to put a man into space have found their way out of China. It is a serious lapse of the high security surrounding China's plans to put a man into space. Mir Soon to Be a Memory See also: Mir's fate in Yeltsin's hands and Russian cosmonauts launch fund-raiser to save Mir Looks like the funding has dried up for Mir. If all goes to plan, it’ll start its fiery descent in February. A Butterfly-Shaped "Papillon" Nebula Yields Secrets of Massive Star Birth A NASA Hubble Space Telescope view of a turbulent cauldron of starbirth, called N159, taking place 170,000 light-years away in our satellite galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Torrential stellar winds from hot newborn massive stars within the nebula sculpt ridges, arcs, and filaments in the vast cloud, which is over 150 light-years across. The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) The Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) is the new name for a giant millimeter-wavelength telescope project. ALMA may become the largest ground-based astronomy project of the next decade after VLT/VLTI, and one of the major new facilities for world astronomy. ALMA will make it possible to study the origins of galaxies, stars and planets. Europe and US to Collaborate on the Design and Development of a Giant Radio Telescope Project in Chile Representatives from the U.S. and Europe signed an agreement today in Washington to continue collaboration on the first phase of a giant new telescope project. The telescope will image the Universe with unprecedented sensitivity and sharpness at millimeter wavelengths (between the radio and infrared spectral regions). It will be a major step for astronomy, making it possible to study the origins of galaxies, stars and planets. Dust cloud surrounds Jupiter's moon The Galileo spacecraft has found clouds of dust around some of Jupiter's moons. Martian 3-D: Show me the water! The Galileo spacecraft has found clouds of dust around some of Jupiter's moons. Australia searches for ET One of the most powerful searches for aliens in space is about to begin from Australia. It will simultaneously listen to 58 million radio channels. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star — But Why Do You Shine? From a comet's tail came the discovery of radiative pressure — also known as solar wind. Star Trek 'warp drive' possible A 'warp drive', like that which powers the USS Enterprise, may be possible according to new theoretical calculations. Satellite to search for Big Bang fossils See also: NASA probe to hunt for cosmic 'fossils' and Relics of the Big Bang A satellite specially focused to ''see'' invisible light will set off later this month to try to find fossil remnants of the Big Bang that created the universe. Let There Be Night See also: Sky-watchers launch campaign to curb light pollution Stargazers all over the world note that the nights grow brighter and brighter. The “light trash” isn’t just affecting astronomers, but also cultures across the globe. Most distant galaxy found Astronomers have discovered the most distant galaxy yet found. It was detected because it gives off radio waves. Mars and Spica put on a colorful show This week the planet Mars passes just 1.7 degrees north of the bright star Spica in the constellation Virgo. It's a lovely close encounter that star gazers won't want to miss. SpaceGuard Only Looking One Way Congress is considering a funding boost for NASA's Near Earth Object Survey to over 10 Million Dollars a year. But it leaves a detailed survey of the southern hemisphere unresolved, making any detailed sky surveys half efforts argues Dr. David Morrison.. NASA Physicist Realizes Her Dreams by Discovering Two New Stars with Space-Based Observatory As a child, NASA astrophysicist Dr. Colleen Wilson-Hodge and her father observed craters on the Moon with a small telescope. Now, using one of NASA's most powerful telescopes, she has been able to look at the outer reaches of the universe and has discovered two new, exotic stars called X-ray pulsars. Boston University Center for Space Physics discovers lunar sodium tail Boston University astronomers have announced the discovery of an enormous tail of sodium gas stretching to great distances from the moon. The observations were made at the McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Texas, on nights following the Leonid meteor shower of November 1998. Lack of energy makes life on Europa unlikely, Caltech study concludes Future space travelers to the watery Jovian moon Europa should probably leave their fishing tackle at home. A new study conducted by California Institute of Technology and Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists shows that the Europan ocean is unlikely to harbor any life form more complex than single-celled organisms -- and maybe not even that. Discovery’s Flight Over See also: Discovery back on Earth, but next mission in question Space shuttle Discovery and its astronauts are back from the international space station after accomplishing everything they set out to do. Bright Star Getting Brighter See also: Astronomers perplexed by star's weird behavior Eta Carinae erupted in a famous stellar observation 150 years ago has suddenly brightened again and astronomers are watching closely for what may be another celestial fireworks show. Shuttle launches 'disco ball' A spinning mirrored ball which will reflect light onto the Earth has been put into orbit by the space shuttle Discovery. Moon's underground shadow A shadow cast by the Moon has been detected 700 m underground. Russia says it can't guarantee safe landing for Mir The Mir space station could crash on land when it is abandoned because Russia does not have enough money to adequately guide the station's descent, according to a report released June 2. SOHO real-time web watch The Solar and Heliospheric Observer (SOHO) observed a large coronal mass ejection (CME) on the Sun on 1 June 1999, at 19:37 Universal Time. It was first spotted by solar physicists at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Chicago, where the SOHO data were being displayed in real time at the ESA/SOHO exhibition booth, via an internet connection to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Hubble snaps a stunning spiral The Hubble Space Telescope has snapped one of the most magnificent galaxies in the sky Mapping the Moon's Ice See also: Spaceprobe to smash into Moon , Crashing into the Moon for signs of water , Moon probe set to crash on surface and Lunar Prospector heads for a Watery Grave NASA's Lunar Prospector orbiter is destined to crash on the moon next month. By picking the right spot, scientists hope to kick up and detect any ice that may be present. Chlorine Discovery Near Jupiter Moon Hints At Salt Presence On Surface The recent discovery of chlorine above Io, a moon of Jupiter, indicates the odd object may hold common table salt, according to two University of Colorado at Boulder scientists. Global warming - is the Sun to blame? Global warming may not be caused by humanity's fossil fuel emissions, but could be due to changes in the Sun. Ulysses results inspire a big discovery about the Sun's behaviour The strength of the Sun's magnetic field has doubled during the 20th Century, according to calculations by British scientists. This finding will help to clarify the Sun's contribution to climate change on the Earth. A team at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford has been able to work out the recent history of the Sun's magnetic behaviour, thanks to the unprecedented overview of solar magnetism provided by the ESA-NASA spacecraft Ulysses. Radar finds Moon's cold spots See also: Zeroing in on Lunar Ice The first three-dimensional images of the Moon's poles have revealed the places where the Sun never shines. Astronomers dispute NASA gauge of universe's age See also: 'Golden Ruler' for Measuring Cosmos and New doubt cast on age of universe A new radio-telescope technique has established a "golden ruler" for measuring cosmic distances and raises doubts about the claim last week that NASA astronomers had determined the age and expansion rate of the universe. Now you see it, now you don't Amateur astronomers around North America captured beautiful images of a lunar occultation on May 21, 1999. Key mechanism for star formation found? What causes new stars to form inside clouds of gas and dust in space? A team of astronomers using the European Space Agency's infrared space observatory, ISO, believes they have taken a big step towards answering this question. Hubble picture reveals seeds of planet-making A new Hubble Space Telescope image shows a remarkable view of a developing star called AB Aurigae and its "protoplanetary disk" -- a swirling cloud of gas and dust that surrounds the star and that may one day cool and condense into planets. Solar Flares Show Their True Colors A tool for taking the fingerprints of gamma-ray bursts from deep space is being used to study the spectra of flares from the Sun. But unlike humans and gamma-ray bursts, whose fingerprints are as unique as...well...fingerprints, new research shows that the detailed spectral behavior of solar flares falls, for the most part, into just two categories. No More Crew for Mir See also: Mir to be abandoned in August In the strongest sign yet that Russia’s era of space glory is coming to an end, space officials announced today that cosmonauts will leave the Mir space station in August and it will remain unmanned. How do gusts in solar wind stir the aurora? NASA Scientist studies data from 3 satellites to figure out what stirs up Earth's Northern Lights. Forecast: Severe Solar Storms See also: Ferocious solar storm to herald millennium As if potential Year 2000 computer problems are not enough, stormy weather predicted for the sun early next year also could torment Earth’s modern technology. Exotic Earth Bacteria Shown to Grow in a Simulated Mars A methane-making, oxygen-hating microbe is able to thrive in Mars-like laboratory conditions, according to a researcher who says the experiment raises fresh hope about the possibility of life on the red planet. Huge black hole seen as probable center of galaxy Measuring the solar system's orbit around the Milky Way Galaxy has provided more evidence that a ``super-massive'' black hole lies at the galaxy's centre. Astronomers discover new type of star Astronomers have discovered a new category of cosmic objects that cannot be seen in visible light, yet may be as numerous as the stars. Ocean May Have Lapped Mars Water no longer flows on Mars. But new 3-D images from NASA reveal what look like coastlines. If so, that means an ocean once stretched across the planet. A Long, Strange Trip Astronomers focusing on a star at the center of the Milky Way say they have measured precisely for the first time how long it takes the sun to circle its home galaxy: 226 million years. The last time the sun was at this exact spot of its galactic orbit, dinosaurs ruled the world. Dark Energy Fills The Cosmos In an article titled "The Cosmic Triangle: Revealing the State of the Universe," which appears in the May 28, 1999 issue of the journal Science, a group of cosmologists and physicists from Princeton University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory survey the wide range of evidence which, they write, "is forcing us to consider the possibility that some cosmic dark energy exists that opposes the self-attraction of matter and causes the expansion of the universe to accelerate." Hubble Snapshot Captures Life Cycle of Stars In a stunning picture of the giant galactic nebula NGC 3603, the crisp resolution of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captures various stages of the life cycle of stars in one single view. "Cool" microflares could be solar hot spots One longstanding mystery of the sun is why its outer atmosphere - the corona - is 200 times hotter than its surface. Now, a trio of scientists says it's because the corona is heated by incessant mini-explosions, called microflares.

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